Medicinal Importance of Orchids

Orchidaceae, one of the largest families of angiosperms, includes 19,500 to 35,000 species belonging to 700 to 800 genera. In India about 1300 species have been recorded. Besides ornamental importance, this group of plants has got high medicinal value. Many medicinal orchids are reported to have useful alkaloids. Some of the orchids are in endangered state due to over-exploitation and habitat destruction. Conservation strategies for orchids and further studies on antimicrobial activity of orchid alkaloids have been suggested.